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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fall — the season
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spell — letters
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — rain
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com